POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Morgan Spurlock wants to make a documentary about product placement and sets himself an odd rule: the whole cost of the film will be covered by product placement. The documentary is financed by the thing it describes. The camera records his meetings with brands; most refuse, some negotiate, and every contract appears on screen. That transparency is what works: deals that are normally hidden become the material. Spurlock manages to raise the one and a half million dollar budget; Ban deodorant puts in fifty thousand, and the largest sponsor, POM Wonderful, gets its name into the title. The agreements also state in writing that final cut stays with Spurlock. Among those interviewed are Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Quentin Tarantino, J. J. Abrams and Jimmy Kimmel. Morgan Spurlock directed and appears throughout. Who it is for: anyone who likes documentaries about advertising and marketing and Spurlock's first-person manner. Who it is not for: anyone wanting depth. The film sets up its trick early and then repeats it, and what it has to say about the effects of product placement is slight next to what it does.